Human-Centered Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) Leveraged Science and Technology (S&T) Program | FA8650 18 S 6001

Opportunity Information: Apply for FA8650 18 S 6001

The Human-Centered Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Leveraged Science and Technology (S and T) Program is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) open solicitation designed to attract new research ideas that strengthen how the Air Force conducts ISR missions. It is issued as a two-step Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which typically means applicants first submit a shorter concept or white paper for feedback or downselect, and then submit a more detailed full proposal if invited. The sponsoring organization is the Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force, within AFRL, specifically the Human-Centered ISR Division (711 HPW/RHX). The program supports science and technology and other R and D efforts and can result in awards using multiple instrument types, including cooperative agreements, grants, or procurement contracts, depending on the nature of the work and the government relationship needed.

The central goal of the program is to develop human-centered technologies that make ISR more effective, and it frames that goal in two complementary ways. First, it seeks improved capability to identify, track, and locate human targets in complex ISR environments. Second, it aims to improve the performance of the people who turn raw ISR data into actionable intelligence, meaning the human operators and analysts who process, exploit, analyze, produce, and disseminate ISR information. In practice, this means the program is not only about better sensing and detection, but also about reducing analyst workload, improving decision quality, speeding up interpretation, and increasing confidence in outcomes when humans and systems work together.

The research scope is organized into three main areas. The first is human signatures, focused on technologies that can sense and exploit biosignatures associated with humans. This includes signatures at the molecular level (for example, biological or chemical indicators) and at the macro level, such as anthropometric characteristics and other measurable physical traits. The intent is to create more reliable, discriminating ways to detect or characterize human presence and identity-relevant features under operational constraints, where signals may be weak, noisy, or deliberately obscured.

The second area is human trust and interaction, which targets the quality and reliability of both human-to-human and human-to-machine collaboration. This area is aimed at improving how operators communicate, coordinate, and share understanding, and also how they interact with automated tools, decision aids, and AI-enabled systems. A key theme is trust: developing approaches that help users appropriately rely on machine outputs, understand system recommendations, and avoid common failure modes like overtrust, undertrust, or confusion when automation behaves unexpectedly. The broader goal is smoother, more resilient teaming between people and technology in high-stakes ISR workflows.

The third area is human analyst augmentation, centered on enhancing analyst performance and evaluating new capabilities in realistic conditions. This includes technologies that help analysts work faster and more accurately, manage cognitive load, and maintain performance over long durations or under stress. It also includes methods to test and measure whether newly developed tools actually improve mission outcomes, often by using simulated operational environments that mimic real ISR tasks, data streams, and time pressures. This emphasis on evaluation reflects an interest not just in novel algorithms or interfaces, but in demonstrating measurable performance gains and operational relevance.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number FA8650-18-S-6001 and is associated with CFDA 12.800. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the program is generally open to a wide range of applicants (such as companies, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations), subject to any additional eligibility language that may appear in the full announcement. The listing indicates an expected number of awards around 15 and shows an award ceiling of 0, which commonly signals that a fixed maximum is not specified in the summary and that budgets may be determined by the quality of proposals, the scope of work, and available funds. The opportunity was created on Feb 16, 2018, with an original closing date of Feb 10, 2023, reflecting that it functioned as an open or rolling BAA over an extended period rather than a single one-time deadline.

• The Department of Defense, Air Force -- Research Lab in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Human-Centered Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) Leveraged Science and Technology (S&T) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 16, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 10, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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